Dish washer with a user interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dishwashers have inconvenient door operation due to low height and a cluttered appearance from exposed buttons, which degrades the overall operation and aesthetics.
Innovation Solution
A dish washer design featuring a metal door with a touch-operated operating unit on the upper surface, incorporating a Printed Circuit Board assembly with touch sensors and an elastic member for stable support, improving usability and durability by distributing load and preventing deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If buttons are exposed on the front surface of the door, then the operating unit is accessible, but the appearance becomes complicated and degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The operating unit is moved from the front surface of the door to the upper surface, changing the spatial dimension of interaction. This allows the front surface to remain clean and simple while the operating unit remains accessible from above, resolving the conflict between accessibility and aesthetic appearance.
2Reliability
If the PCB assembly is not properly supported, then the structure is simpler, but the touch recognition rate decreases and durability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is divided into multiple elastic members distributed across the PCB assembly. Each elastic member independently supports a portion of the PCB, ensuring uniform contact pressure and stable touch recognition without requiring a complex monolithic support structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic members are designed with specific physical parameters (material properties, dimensions, elasticity) to optimize the contact pressure between the PCB assembly and the operating unit. By adjusting these parameters, the system achieves reliable touch recognition with a simple elastic support structure.
3Reliability
If the elastic member height is insufficient, then the structure is more compact, but the PCB assembly cannot maintain close contact with the operating unit
Solution Approach 1:
The height of the elastic members is optimized to a specific range that ensures the PCB assembly maintains close contact with the operating unit while keeping the overall structure compact. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between contact stability and structural compactness.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances touch recognition rate, simplifies the appearance, and improves durability by maintaining the PCB assembly in close contact with the operating unit, reducing the risk of damage from excessive touch operations.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member mounted on the mounting bracket, the elastic member arranged to press and support the PCB assembly to a rear surface of the operating unit
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of touch sensors for detecting displacement of the operating unit are mounted on the PCB assembly
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
A dish washer (1) includes a cabinet (10) which forms a dish washing space; a door (20) which opens and closes the access to dish washing space; wherein the door (20) includes an outer plate (30) which is made of a metal plate material and forms the front surface of the door (20) and at least a portion of appearance of a peripheral surface of the door (20), an operating unit (22) which is formed on the peripheral surface of the door (20) so that a user operates it by touch, a printed circuit board assembly (60) which is in close contact with a rear surface of the operating unit (22) and on which a plurality of touch sensors (62) detecting displacement of the operating unit (22) are mounted, a mounting bracket (40) which is fixed to an inside surface of the outer plate (30), and an elastic member (50, 51) which is mounted on the mounting bracket (40) and presses and supports the printed circuit board assembly (60) to the a rear surface of the operating unit (22).